BOSTON Massachusetts voters heading to the polls Tuesday appear split over the question of whether to allow chronically ill patients to receive prescriptions for life-ending medications, but ready to give the OK to medical marijuana, according to a pre-election poll.

The poll of 535 likely voters, conducted by the Western New England University Polling Institute, found 44 percent support allowing terminally ill patients to obtain medication to end their lives and 42 percent opposed the idea, which is laid out in Question 2.

Among likely voters 65 and older, 52 percent were against the measure and 39 percent supported it.

The poll also found Democrats support the proposal by a 54 percent to 35 percent spread while Republicans oppose it, 50 percent to 28 percent.

In a late May survey, the idea was favored 60 percent to 29 percent.

The institute’s late October phone poll found 63 percent of likely voters support medical marijuana legalization and 29 percent were opposed.